LEICESTER — Moments after an unanimous vote that would result in her pink slip, a middle school math teacher gave an impassioned plea to educate the students of tomorrow.

Tuesday night, the School Committee favored an adjusted school budget of $15,783,772, which is $63,080 below the previous budget of $15,846,852.

Before last week's $1.5 million Proposition 2½ override ballot question defeat, the district's spending plan was $214,832 over $15,846,852. Not only did the committee eliminate that amount from the budget, but it cut an additional $63,080, on the advice of School Superintendent Judith J. Paolucci.

Beth Johnson, a seventh- and eighth-grade math teacher at Leicester Middle School, was one of the seven casualties of the cuts.

"When this financial crisis ends, and it will, the school system will emerge from containment mode and will have a chance to shape our town's educational future," Ms. Johnson said to the School Committee. "While I won't have the opportunity to help shape that future from inside, I would ask the insiders, as it were, to keep three things in mind as they do so."

Ms. Johnson's "three things" were: find a way to recognize, retain and reward the staff; set the district's sights on catching up and surpassing other school districts; and support the students.

"Support our struggling students, but find a way for our great thinkers to soar," Ms. Johnson said. "I am certain that we have some of the pioneers of tomorrow in our classroom today. So don't just tell them to dream big and work hard. Show them why it's worth it. Don't settle for mediocre. Leicester has been great in the past and it can be great again. So let's get there."

In addition to eliminating a middle school math teacher (Ms. Johnson), the board cut a high school science teacher, a teaching assistant (a position that was recently vacated) and a custodial position (pending a meeting with custodial union leadership).

Meanwhile, an English instructional coach and a math instructional coach are being moved back into the classroom, a high school music teacher is being moved to a middle school music position that was vacated by a mid-year retirement, the dean of students is returning to the English department and an English teacher is being moved to a district English language learning position, reducing the need for ELL coordinators and tutors (one full-time equivalent).

In all, seven full-time positions, including teachers, teacher aides and support staff, will be eliminated, in addition to six other jobs cut earlier this year.